New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

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A survey of species in the genus Blindia (Bryopsida, Seligeriaceae)

JOHN K. BARTLETT
DALE H. VITT

Department of Botany
The University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9

We record, with regret, news received as this paper went to press that John Kenneth Bartlett died on 1 May 1986. Abstract Based on a review of herbarium material and type specimens, we recognise 16 spe- cies of Blindia. Three of these described here are new: B. gradsteinii, B. lewinskyae, and B. seppeltii. The variation of populations in the widespread northern hemisphere B. acuta and the southern hemisphere B. magellanica is not taxonomically recognised at the infraspecific levels. Stylostegium and Blindiopsis are synonymous with Blindia, while Brachydontium is maintained as a separate taxon. Trochobryum is synonymous with Seligeria. Ver- ntcidens is thought to belong in the Dicranaceae. Ecologically, species that occur in hygrophytic hab- itats are distributed in both the northern and southern hemispheres, and have well-developed peristomes and capsules longer than wide. Aquatic, rheophytic species are confined to the southern hemisphere and many of these have reduced per- istomes and capsules as wide as long. These rheo- phytic species have extremely long subulae and linear-elongate leaf cells, whereas the terrestrial species have short subulae and shorter leaf cells.
Abstrait On reconnait, a partir d'une analyse de collections d'herbiers et de specimens types, 16 especes de Blindia. Trois de celles sont decrites dans cet ouvrage en tant que nouvelles especes: B. grad- steinii, B. lewinskyae, et B. seppeltii. La variation dans la population repandue de B. acuta de l'hemi- sphere nord et de B. magellanica de l'hemisphere sud n'est pas reconnue aux niveaux infraspeci- fiques. Stylostegium et Blindiopsis sont synonymes de Blindia, tandis que Brachydontium est retenu en tant que taxon distinct; Trochobryum est synon- yme de Seligeria. Verrucidens est classe parmi les Dicranaceae. Pour ce qui concerne l'ecologie, les especes de Blindia figurent dans des habitats hygro- phytiques et aquatiques. Celles qui se trouvent dans des habitats hygrophytiques sont distributes dans les hemispheres nords et suds, et jouissent de per- istomes qui sont bien developpes et de capsules qui sont plus longues que larges. Les especes aqua- tiques, rheophytiques, sont restreintes a l'hemi- sphere sud et un grand nombre de celles disposent de peristomes retrecits et de capsules qui sont aussi longues que larges. Ces especes rheophytiques ont des feuilles subulees extremement longues dont les cellules sont alongees de facon lineaire. Les especes terrestres portent des feuilles subulees courtes et leurs cellules sont moins longues.

Keywords Taxonomy; Seligeraceae; Bryopsida; bryophyte; Blindia; New Zealand; nomenclature

Received 18 June 1985; accepted 18 December 1985
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 1986, Vol. 24: 203-246
0028-825X/86/2402-0203$2.50/0 © Crown copyright 1986 203

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